Football: Defense making strides, drawing attention

Coming into the season, most Panther fans were excited to see what the football team’s offense… Coming into the season, most Panther fans were excited to see what the football team’s offense was going to bring to the table.

Now, as the season enters its last two weeks, the focus has shifted to the other side of the ball, where the Panthers will rely on an ever-improving defense to carry them to two more victories and a bowl-game berth.

Star tailback Ray Graham and multiple starting offensive linemen including guard Lucas Nix have suffered injuries, and the offense continues to play at an inconsistent level. Currently, the Pittsburgh defense is ranked fifth in the Big East, allowing 355.6 yards per game, but the coaches and players feel they are headed in the right direction.

Unexpectedly, leadership of this defense has fallen to sophomore defensive lineman Aaron Donald — who is currently tied for sixth in the nation in sacks with nine on the season. Donald showed rapid development from last year, when he got spotty playing time as a freshman.

“Technique-wise, he was very, very raw when we got here because he hadn’t played much,” head coach Todd Graham said. “What makes him special is his explosive power. The sky is the limit for how good he can be.”

Donald isn’t the only one having success on the defensive line, as senior standouts Chas Alecxih and Myles Caragein continue to be stout and dependable. Alecxih has 45 tackles and 4.5 sacks on the season, and Caragein has contributed 32 tackles from his position as defensive tackle.

“The other guy who’s really improved his game is Myles Caragein,” Graham said. “He’s really improved his pass-rushing and has played a lot more snaps on third down.”

The versatility of the line has enabled the Panthers to take a different approach as the season progressed. At its outset, Pitt was expecting to bring a lot of blitz packages to really put pressure on the opposing team’s quarterback, but it became evident that more help was needed in the secondary. But Pitt has been able to rush only three or four players and still get pressure.

For defensive line coach Paul Randolph, that gives the Panthers a chance to be more versatile.

“Our back end fits our front, which allows us to rush three and drop eight, or we can rush four and drop seven,” Randolph said. “With that, you have to have tremendous coverage when you’re dropping eight. I call them coverage sacks, and I remind my guys to make sure you thank the defensive backs for doing a great job.”

As a result, the secondary has stepped up recently. Over the past five games, the Panthers have improved considerably and have only given up an average of 176.4 yards a game through the air. Before that, the Panthers gave up more than 200 yards passing in each of their contests, including a 399-yard, three-touchdown performance by Iowa’s Jake Vandenberg.

The secondary will certainly have to be on its game for the Backyard Brawl. West Virginia has the Big East’s top passing offense, averaging over 362.1 yards per game. To slow down the attack, the linemen will need to get pressure on standout junior quarterback Geno Smith and the secondary will have to be alert for the screen pass of which West Virginia head coach Dana Holgorsen is so fond.

“They do a great job with their screen package,” Randolph said. “For our guys, it’s tough to attack and impact the quarterback when they slip the screen out on you. It’s a way of slowing down the rush and controlling the rush, and West Virginia just does a great job with running the screen.”

The players know the screen is a threat as well, and they’re using the bye week to get extra preparation for the Mountaineers and their explosive athletes.

“You just got to be more cautious and always watch out for it,” Donald said.

With the offense still trying to find its identity post-Ray-Graham-injury, the players of the Panthers defense will be the key to Pitt’s chances at salvaging the season. In fact, the opportunity of a bowl game could rest in their hands.